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In the aftermath of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is confronting several pressing conversations. There is a much-needed national focus on anti-Jewish sentiment, an persistent concern about public safety, and inquiries about the way such an tragedy could happen. However, as viewed of a health professional and Australian Jew, the most important discussion we are finally having revolves around firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Successful Solution

Health specialists have been issuing warnings about firearms for a minimum of a ten-year period. In the wake of the Port Arthur massacre, Australians came together and implemented a suite of measures to reduce gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation experienced approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the death toll of the shootings in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Bondi Tragedy and the Function of Existing Regulations

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. Reports indicate the alleged attackers might have been armed with manually-operated long guns and at least one straight-pull shotgun. These firearms can only fire a one round at a time, necessitating a physical action to ready the subsequent shot. Although these guns are capable of being discharged rapidly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, self-loading rifles commonplace in international attacks. The casualty count at Bondi could have been much greater if different weapons had been accessible.

Preventing another Bondi requires national cohesion. Regrettably, there are already cracks in the united front.

Legislation Showing Weakness

Yet, the horrific consequences of the attack reveals that existing gun laws are failing. Designed in the late 1990s with the noblest aims, years have eroded their efficacy. Concerningly, there are currently a greater number of guns in Australia than before the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in urban areas owning arsenals numbering in the hundreds.

We have been complacent and it has cost us terribly.

The Road Ahead: Proposed Changes

Since the Bondi attack, there have been multiple declarations regarding new gun laws. New South Wales in particular will shortly introduce a package of measures to reduce the public danger posed by firearms. The national government has announced a fresh gun buyback, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, despite the inherent challenges of coordinating state and federal jurisdictions.

These measures are feasible provided that the nation works together. As noted, when it comes to gun control, the country is dependent on its least stringent jurisdiction. This is the very nature of the Australian federation – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be avoided with a short drive across a border.

Countering Frequent Objections

We hear the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is accurate in the same sense that aircraft do not fly passengers, pilots do. Yes, planes can't fly themselves, but it would be quite challenging for a pilot to move 500 people internationally without the aircraft. The mass slaughter seen at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had been denied access to the firearms they possessed.

Weighing Need and Security

There are legitimate reasons for some Australians to possess firearms. Farm work or controlling vermin in many places is incredibly hard without them. A complete removal of firearms from the country is not feasible, as in certain contexts they are indispensable.

What we can do – what we must do – is to ensure that gun laws are modernized to better match the world we live in today. Australia's legislation have historically been the envy of the world, but the passage of years has done its work and the nation is less secure as it previously was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi seriously, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as previous generations have been.

A commentator observed after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". This is true, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. However horrific as the incident was, there is an aspiration that it can serve as the last one the nation experiences.